Our Mission
VeganShift is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, global, vegan hub developing sustainable societies for symbiotic living for all earthlings.
Our Vision
A vegan world where people live in harmony with a symbiotic relationship towards fellow earthlings and nature, empowers humanity to thrive on vegan nutrition, and ensures our global social foundational policies support vegan ethics of nonviolence and peace towards all earthlings.
Our Values
- Consistent and uncompromising vegan messaging
- Commitment to tactics of nonviolence
- Championing the interests of exploited individuals and those who seek to liberate them
- Sustainability, Passionate Advocacy, Peace and Unity
Background
Our founder, Eriyah Flynn, was born and raised in Southern California, and later joined the US Air Force after graduating high school. She has always loved animals and considered herself an environmentalist as Earth Day and Zero Population Growth issues were part of her early development. She later became involved in animal rights and eventually vegan advocacy since her awakening began in 1996 with the purchase of Moby’s CD; “Everything is Wrong.” Read more about Eriyah’s journey here.
Over the last 15 years, we have gone from being vegan renegades out there doing our own thing, to finding more organized community in mainstream environmental, animal rights and nutrition advocacy organizations. In that period however, we hadn’t spent a lot of time really examining the efficacy of the messaging they were using, or the results it was getting but we were seeing trends in the culture we found very disturbing, such as the 84% recidivism rate of those who had transitioned to vegan or vegetarian living returning to consuming animal products- especially as a reaction to “humanely” farmed options appearing in the marketplace after growing awareness of factory farming of animals in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO). While tableling at events, we would have many pass by our booth and seeing “Try Vegetarian” or “Vegetarian Starter Kits” say “I’m already vegetarian” as if they had arrived at their final ethical evolution because the word “vegan” was not being used. In 2008 we encountered Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary’s “Letter from a Vegan World”, Nonviolence United’s “VeganVideo” and VEGAN shirt, and the Abolitionist Approach movement of animal rights and resonated with much of the messaging, however there were limiting factors to the abolitionist approach as well that translated into being marginalized as simply (and although extremely important and the reason the word vegan even exists) an animal rights agenda.
Given the scale of issues associated with this eco-centric consciousness encompasses salient issues beyond animal rights, and most, if not all mainstream animal rights organizations, were avoiding unequivocal vegan advocacy with more confusing language, we found there was a need for our approach. While Donald Watson the founder of The Vegan Society and creator of the word “vegan” defined the philosophy as follows:
“VEGANISM: a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”
There has been a lot that has changed in the world since then; specifically we’ve added another 5 billion people.
In 2010, our founder went back to college to finish degrees in business administration and entrepreneurial management. Since 2000 she has gained expert knowledge and experience in animal rights, philosophy, and several social justice movements. In 2010 she concluded that the mainstream animal advocacy movements have been going about this in a way she no longer resonated for many reasons. With this insight and shift in perspective, she modified our message to be more direct, and to empower people to get on the most direct track to helping us make a global vegan shift.
Philosophy
We understand that individuals find their own path to peace with their conscience. Not everyone will go vegan tomorrow. Some will, some won’t, some will shift to plant-based alternatives from animal products incrementally over time. We are here to help them understand the sense of urgency in doing so and to create a vegan eco-centric conscious world where people are empowered to live consistently with their values and ethics for empathy, compassion, dignity, respect, equality, truth, liberty and justice….for all earthlings.
Thus as an organization:
Our message is unequivocally clear, direct and honest
Our actions are without violence, sexism, fat shaming, or other discriminatory or manipulative tactics
We do not use hyperbole or propaganda
We do not dilute our message to be more palatable
We are understanding and compassionate in our work